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CSW70: Join the UN’s biggest gender equality moment — from wherever you are in the UK

Every March, thousands gather inside the United Nations for the world's largest annual gathering on gender equality, where decisions and debates help shape what comes next for women’s rights.

And you're invited.

You can take part digitally, joining live sessions from the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women — streamed from New York to wherever you are in the UK.

Online & in-person in London | 9–19 March 2026 | Free to take part

The theme of CSW70 is access to justice for women and girls, alongside women’s safety and participation in public life.

It brings a global focus to questions playing out across the UK: who the law protects in practice, whose voices shape decisions, and what needs to change so women can live safely and participate fully in everyday life.

What is the Commission on the Status of Women — and why do people pay attention?

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the United Nations’ largest annual gathering focused on women’s rights and gender equality.

For two weeks, governments, experts, campaigners, community organisers, and civil society come together to discuss the issues shaping women’s lives today — from safety and justice, to education, work, health, and access to power.

It’s where global priorities are debated, pressure is built, and momentum for change is created.

You’re invited to join us digitally and get behind-the-scenes access to live UN sessions, expert discussions, and global decision-making — streamed straight from New York to your screen.

You don’t need to have heard of CSW before.
You don’t need to be an expert.
You just need to be curious, and care about equality.

Scenes from the Official United Nations Commemoration of International Women’s Day 2025 held in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 7 March 2025.

Your voice is needed: across the world, progress on women’s rights is being tested — and, in many places, reversed.

Protections that once felt secure are being weakened.
Rights that took decades to win are being challenged.
And for a woman somewhere in the world, justice is still out of reach.

This isn’t abstract. It shows up in everyday life:

  • in the woman who still isn’t legally protected from rape within marriage
  • in the woman who reports violence and is met with disbelief, delay, or silence
  • in the woman who cannot own property, pass on citizenship, or access credit on equal terms
  • in the woman whose rights exist on paper, but not in practice

At the same time, the world around her is changing fast. New technologies, political shifts, and global crises are reshaping her life — often faster than laws and institutions are willing or able to respond.

CSW70 focuses on access to justice for all women and girls,   asking who the law protects, who it leaves out, and who gets to shape the rules that govern everyday life.

This is one of the moments where the direction of change is openly debated. Your voice is needed as part of the conversation.

The UN isn’t just for world leaders — it’s for changemakers like you

You’ll be part of a wider group of people across the UK engaging with the same moment — tuning in, reflecting, discussing, and asking questions together. Alongside live UN sessions, you’ll have opportunities to connect, share thoughts, and turn what you’re hearing into ideas you can take forward in your own life, community, or work.

CSW70 digital participation is a guided experience — before, during, and after CSW — designed to help you connect, learn, and turn insight into action.

Before CSW: get oriented

CSW briefing session to meet other participants and understand how the events work

Participant guide to help you track key sessions and capture learning

During CSW: connect and engage

Access to hundreds of live CSW sessions, streamed from the UN in New York

Guidance from the UN Women UK team to help you navigate the programme

Interactive virtual meet-ups to reflect, discuss, and share perspectives

Private participant community connecting people across the UK

After CSW: take it further

Exclusive hybrid UN Women UK event (online and in-person) to deepen learning and workshop solutions based on your CSW experience

Post-event action session focused on turning insight into practical action

Continued access to the UN Women UK community, with priority invitations, opportunities, and resources

Recognition

Formal certificate acknowledging your participation as a UN Women UK CSW70 participant

You don’t need prior knowledge or experience — just curiosity and openness.

How the experience works

CSW isn’t one single event or speech. It’s made up of hundreds of live sessions, panels, and discussions taking place across two weeks — covering everything from justice and law reform, to tackling violence, discrimination, and inequality in everyday life.

There’s no expectation to attend everything, or to already “know the language”. This is about opening the doors to conversations that usually feel far away — and letting you step inside on your own terms.

As a digital participant with UN Women UK, you’ll have:

  • a curated experience highlighting key sessions
  • guidance to help you navigate CSW with confidence
  • opportunities to connect and reflect with others across the UK, online and in-person

You choose how much time you give — one session or many.

Scenes from the Official United Nations Commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 held in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 7 March 2025.

This opportunity is:

open to people of all genders
open to all backgrounds and levels of experience
free to take part


You must be:

aged 18 or over
based in the UK

No qualifications are required.

Apply to join CSW70 digitally

Step inside one of the world’s most important gender equality conversations — and be part of what happens next.

Where: Online — streamed live from the UN Headquarters in New York
When: 9–19 March 2026
Applications close: 8 February 2026